Next year, GM oilseed rape could be grown on up to 12,350 acres of land in
the UK. GeneWatch UK has discovered that AgrEvo, the company developing GM herbicide
resistant oilseed rape, intend to increase the area of land involved in farm
scale trials dramatically in the year 2000. This information is contained in
letters to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)
to vary the consent for the trials (1).

The Government-sponsored farm scale trials are intended to study the impacts
of growing GM herbicide resistant crops on biodiversity. In a DETR briefing
(2), it has been stated that there would be about 20 sites for each crop and
that the size of the fields would be around 25 acres in size (3). AgrEvos
letters reveal that the size of the fields could increase to 123.5 acres with
a total of 100 sites of GM spring and winter oilseed rape.

"The public has been led to believe that the farm scale trials are part
of a scientific research programme. Growing 12,000 acres of a GM crop is clearly
a commercial enterprise and not controlled research," said Dr Sue Mayer,
GeneWatchs Director. "Any risks from GM crops cannot be contained
when they are grown on such an enormous scale."

Today the DETR are holding a seminar to describe the farm scale trials with
presentations from the scientists involved (4). GeneWatch UK will be attending
the seminar and asking how such a massive scale of growing can be justified
scientifically.

"It is clearly the companies developing the crops, not the scientists
undertaking the research who are in the driving seat. Science is being used
as a smokescreen for commercial scale growing," said Dr Mayer. "There
must be a moratorium on the commercialisation of these crops so that research
can be conducted without the burden of industrial pressure."